Looking to get fit? Looking to live leaner and look better? Looking to get more energy? How many of you believe that you have to cut out bread in order to look better? Guess what.  Your health can still benefit from bread, even in today’s society of junk food, processed food, and fast food. Well, which really works for you when it comes to bread? There are three choices you are left to when trying to live a fitness lifestyle, which DOES require that you watch the types of foods you consume. Which of the following sounds best? These are your bread consumption alternatives:

1.  Eat a full-fledged no-bread diet for the rest of your life
2.  Eat “bad” bread and get unhealthy from it
3.  Or finally, make better choices in bread so you can KEEP BREAD as a part of your food regimen, and still chow down on a sandwich now and then.

I elect choice number 3! I’m not really a big bread eater, to be honest, but the realities are that anyone likes a piece of toast or a sandwich from time to time, if not every day.  Most parents who send their kids to school use sandwiches as the staple part of their children’s lunches.  I make colorful salads with free-range/organic-fed chicken along with fruits and veggies for my children, but sometimes, they like to have a wild-caught tuna sandwich or a good old fashioned PB&J (with organic natural PB & J, of course).

Whether it’s a lean meat, tuna, or vegan sandwich, the type of bread will constitute the “healthy” in that “nutritious sandwich,” so there are a list of important factors to consider when selecting breads for your healthy living choices. There are basically four types of breads. Those four breads will impact all the considerable factors you want to know about if you want to keep bread in your daily diet.  The health factors to consider when you are eating anything really, especially bread, are:

1.  glycemic index (how the carbohydrates in the food impact your blood sugar levels- especially important for diabetics)
2.  fat content (especially consider the amount of saturated fats, as this can affect weight, heart condition, cholesterol)
3.  toxic or artificial ingredients (look out for toxic additives, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and preservatives)
4.  vitamin and nutrient content
5. fiber content
6. caloric content (important consideration for those trying to lose weight- but this is the LEAST of your concerns)

Here are the four breads you have to choose from at all times, and these notes will help you consider what is genuinely going to be best for you, considering the factors above:

Enriched Flour (Wheat or otherwise) Wheat Bread- A processed flour which is so processed that it has been horribly stripped of it’s most nourishing nutrients and vitamins, thus requiring an “enriching” process whereby nutrients and vitamins have been added back in.  This bread is generally very unhealthy, because you never know what chemicals were used in the processing of those grains.  Such processes include the use of bleach in an effort to strip, clean, and break down the grains into flour, not different than making white bread. High glycemic, toxic, chemically enhanced, and usually contains corn syrup to enhance taste and may contain hydrogenated oils.

Sprouted Grain Bread- Grains that are soaked in water until they have sprouted and can then maintain their vitamins, nutrient, and nutritional property (protein) value.  The sprouted grains are crushed and used to make bread.  Higher and more natural source of nutrition, fiber, and protein.  Sprouted grain breads are much lower on the glycemic index than all other breads, thus making this a very healthy bread for diabetics, weight-loss candidates, and those looking for a healthy alternative for their delightful sandwiches without the fat storage that results from eating most breads on a daily basis.

Whole Grain Bread- Also a decent alternative to enriched or white breads, whole grain breads are delicious, tend to be more natural, and can be appreciated for their lack of processing.  Although they are higher on the glycemic index, they tend to be more whole and natural, excluding junk ingredients like corn syrup and hydrogenated oils- the worst contents outside of the bleach used to break down processed grains. You can get these breads with high fiber and high protein content, if you are really on the lookout, and it is cheaper than sprouted grain bread, but not as cheap at the lame alternatives like enriched or white.

White Bread- Do I really need to go into why this is the WORST POSSIBLE BREAD TO CONSUME- EVER! It’s white because it’s bleached! Gross! The grains that comprise these breads are so processed and stripped and, again, bleached, that they are not even grains by the time they go into your body. They are loaded with corn syrups, sugars, hydrogenation, and  more garbage.  Just read the ingredients, and look up the processes for yourself.  They are simply a taste-bud stimulating chemical, void of any nutritional value whatsoever.

My favorite of all breads is the famous Ezekiel Bread.  I love this stuff! Low GI (Glycemic Index), high in protein, high in nutrition, dense and grainy texture, with easy to digest and assimilate proteins, vitamins, nutrients, and naturally occurring amino acids. Another new one I’ve found is Dave’s Killer Bread. USDA Organic Dave’s Bread is delicious, my kids absolutely love it, and we can count on integrity and protein and low glycemic index.  These three things are especially important for my household because my son has no pancreas, and is consequently diabetic.  Protein and GI are important for diabetics. I myself, like to stay looking and feeling fit, and staying lean and energetic, so these breads in limited amounts (maybe once or twice a week) work best for me also.  Finally, I also am itching to try this new Paleo Bread.  This stuff is all natural, low glycemic, high protein, and they even have a low-carb version!

So, keep your bread. Eat toast! Eat sandwiches! Enjoy your grains in a healthy way.  Let me know your results here at nitasworld.

Be well, Be You, BE PHENOMENAL!

-Nita Lee Marquez